Strategy: 7 business leaders who have distanced themselves from Trump

US President Donald Trump has billed himself pro-business, but he has already alienated several prominent business executives during his time in office.

It's no secret that this White House tends to hemorrhage staff.

But occupants of the West Wing aren't the only casualties of President Donald Trump's governing style.

While Trump has repeatedly billed himself as pro-business, his rhetoric and actions around immigration policy, the environment, and the deadly white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, have alienated several business leaders.

On Monday, Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier resigned from the president's manufacturing council in response to Trump's controversial initial response to the situation in Charlottesville.

Frazier was the only black member of the manufacturing council.

"As CEO of Merck, and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism," he said in a statement, according to Business Insider's Jeremy Berke.

The president immediately took to Twitter to blast the CEO. The New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin reported that Trump's response cowed to at least one anonymous member of his advisor councils, who said, "Just look at what he did to Ken. I'm not sticking my head up."

But Frazier is by no means the only top business exec to have backed away from the White House.

Here are six additional business leaders who have publicly distanced themselves from the president:

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

The Facebook COO never sat on one of Trump's councils, but she did appear at the then-president-elect's December sit down with Silicon Valley powerhouses.

The following month, Sandberg blasted Trump's travel ban in a Facebook post.

Business Insider's Alex Heath reported that Sandberg wrote: "People seeking refuge have been turned away and sent back to the danger they just managed to flee. This is not how it should be in America."

She also has spoken out against the Trump administration's global gag rule policy, which bans US-funded groups around the world from discussing abortion as an option.

Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour

The Under Armour CEO caught massive flack for an initial pro-Trump statement back in February. Dennis Green reports for Business Insider that the Plank hailed Trump as an "asset to the country."

The comment sparked controversy. Even Under Armour's own athletes reacted negatively, including NBA MVP Steph Curry, according to USA Today.

Plank later took a full-page ad out in the Baltimore Sun to clarify his statement and denounce Trump's travel ban.

Travis Kalanick, former CEO and founder of Uber

Joining Trump's council proved to be yet another controversy for the recently ousted Uber CEO.

The New York Times reports that many Uber employees were angry about Kalanick's decision to join the board in the first place. The controversy swelled after the administration announced its travel ban.

The Uber founder stepped down from the council in February.

Elon Musk, CEO and founder of Tesla and SpaceX

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO previously sat on two of Trump's councils, the economic advisory board and the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative, Danielle Muoio reported for Business Insider.

Writing for Business Insider, Matthew DeBord speculated that Musk was attempting to influence the president's climate change policies. However, he ditched both councils after Trump opted to pull out of the Paris Agreement.

"If I stayed on the councils it would be saying that wasn't important, but I think it's super important," Musk later said in a speech to US governors, Sonam Sheth reported for Business Insider.

Bob Iger, CEO of Disney

Like Musk, the Disney CEO dropped out of president's council after Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement.

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Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal

Peter Thiel used to be an ardent Trump backer, even speaking in the then-candidate's favor at the Republican National Convention.

However, there are indications that the PayPal cofounder has changed his mind. In fact, reports indicate that he now feels that there's a good chance the Trump train will derail entirely.

"There's a 50% chance this whole thing ends in disaster," Thiel told friends at a recent private gathering, Caroline Cakebread reported for Business Insider.

US President Donald Trump has billed himself pro-business, but he has already alienated several prominent business executives during his time in office. Read Full Story